Mechanical refrigerator cabinet



. A July 1, 1930.. -R. w. DAVENPORT 1,769,115

MECHANICAL REFRIGERATOR CABINET l I 1 l l rl HU MW) UHU mY: @l

Filed March '7, 1927 um 00 wp N @m R MW@ m /MA W M m ,WW M f DJ s u ,4.

Patented July l, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT? OFFICE RANSOM W. DAVENPORT,

OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOB TO CHICAGO PNIlUlllIA-TIC TOOL COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY MECHANICAL REFRIGEIQATOR CABINET appnctinn' mea Maren 7,

This invention relates to mechanical refrigeration and more particularly to refrig? erator cabinets adapted tohouse the refrigeration apparatus as well as to provide the refrigerating chamber or chambers. Such cabinets vordinarily provide a compartment, usually beneath the refrigerating chamber, in which the machine parts of the apparatus, such as pump and motor, are placed.

Where mechanical means are provided for moving air through the machine compartment any ordinary mass insulation, such as a conventional cork board, interposed between the compartment and the refrigerating chamber is adequate to protect the latter against heat generated in the compartment. Such constructions are well known and commonly used. Where, however, no mechanical air moving means are providedl it has hitherto been thought necessary to place the ma-v hine elements above the refrigerating cham- One object of the invention is to provide an improved form of cabinet permitting ap paratus units which have no machine driven cooling means to be placed below the refrigerating chamber. Another object is to rovide improved means for diverting heat rom the refrigerating apparatus away from the low temperature chamber disposed above it. Other objects will be apparent from the detailed description which follows:

The invention provides means for taking care of convected heat by deiiecting air cur rents ascending from the machine or apparatus units away from the bottom of the refrigerating chamber and for directing the same into the space about the cabinet with some velocity, so that cool air may constantly move into the machine compartment to replace the heated air. In order that the heated air may not lie dead in contact with the ceiling of the machine compartment, a ceiling member in the form of a deflector is arranged to slope outwardly. The slope of the deflector may be double so that the latter is V shape in end elevation and in addition may be inclined so that all air which contacts with the deflector must move outwardly and upwardly. With such an arrangement the air 192'?.4 ser'faim. 173,234.

leaves the compartment on at least two sides thus insuring ventilation of the compartment in case the cabinet is set close to a wall on one side. with the delector heats the latter,the invention further contemplates the use of one or more additional deectors spaced above the first and conforming generally to the shape of the first. The cabinet provides inlet openings at the bottom of the compartment and outlet openings adjacent to the top toward which the deilectors direct all heated air as it rises. The arrangement is preferably such that movement of airis provided for on both sides of all the deflectors. rlhe invention further prevents radiated heat from reaching the bottom of the refrigerating chamber by providing at least the lower of the detlecting members and preferably all of them, with bright reliecting surfaces on the lower side.

In order to illustrate the invention, one concrete embodiment thereof is shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a front elevational view of a self-contained refrigerating cabinet intended for household use the lower part of the cabinet being shown in section; and

Fig. 2 is an end elevational view of the cabinet shown in Fig. l with the lower portion of the machine compartment in section.

In the embodiment of the invention chosen for the purpose of illustration, the cabinet A provides a refrigerating chamber B formed with walls of heat insulating material such as cork and beneath said chamber a compartment C containing at least a part of the refrigerating apparatus for extracting heat from chamber B.4 Upon a bridge piece 3 in compartment C is supported a prime mover, such as an electric motor 4, arranged to drive a pump or compressor 5, the two machines being coupled together to form a sealed motor-.pump unit 4, 5. Pump 5 withdraws vaporized refrigerant from an evaporator element 6 in chamber B through a pipe 7 and discharges the same at higher temperature and pressure through a pipe 8 into the topl of a natural draft condenser 9 which may be secured to the back of cabinet A as shown Since contact of the heated air 4in size as shown, are

and which returns the working substance to the evaporator through the feeding device or so-called ex ansion valve 10.

In order to 'ssipate the heat generated in the machine compartment C the entire lower ortion of the compartment is open, save for bridge piece.3, to provide an inlet for air and ad'acent the top of the compartment lare provi ed a pluralit of air outlets 11. The rising currents of eated air are .arranged to be deflected to outlets 11 and kept away from the bottom of refrigerating chamber B. To this end a defiector 12 is arranged to form a false top or ceiling for the machine compartment in spaced relation to the bottom of chamber B.` Deilector 12 separates or diverts the rising currents from points substantiall centrally of compartment C towards out ets 11 and for this urpose is preferably generally V shaped as shown in side elevation 1n Fig. 1. Moreover, deflector 12 is arranged to have a generally upward inclination from the back gp the front of compartment C as indicated in gis a still further rotection to chamber B at least one more eflector member 4is provided between deflector 12 and chamber B and in spaced relation to both. This second deiector 13 is generally similar in shape and arrangement to deflector 12 and coo erates with auxiliary outlet openings 14 an 15 at the ends of the cabinet and directly about the outlets 11. Outlets 11, 14 and 15 at each end of the cabinet may be provided' by a lsingle elongate generall rectangular opening 16 in the wall of the ca inet (Fig. 2). A series o f inlet openings 17 which ma be graduated rovi ed in the back wall of compartment approximatel on the contact line of deiiector 13 so as to a mit air to the space above and below deflector 13 with the result that provision is made for moving currents of air both above and below both deflectors to carry away the convected heat. To protectthe bottom of chamber B against radiated heat the deflector members have bright reflecting under surfaces directed toward the motor-pump unit 4, 5. By preference deiiectors 12 and 13 are formed of a bright metal such as tin.

With the arrangement above disclosed the air space above the uppermost deector may be keptvery close to the temperature of the room in which cabinet A is placed without recourse to fans or other moving parts, and thus leakage of heat through the mass insulation at the bottom of the refrigerator chamber B is not greater than through the other sides. By making the deflector of such shape as to direct rising currents of heated air to a plurality of sides of the box, it is evident that the protecting of the refrigerating chamber from the heat generated in the machine compartment is not seriously interfered with even when one end or side of the cabinet is placed close against a wall.- If desired, ad-

itional ventilation of compartment C may be effected by providing the sides or ends of the com artment, or both, with louvres as indicate at 18 in Fig. 1

While a preferred form of the invention has been herein shown and described, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific details thereof, but covers all changes, modifications, and adaptations within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a refrigerator cabinet the combination with a chamber to be cooled and a compartment beneath said chamber for containing mechanical refrigerating apparatus, said compartment having an inlet for air currents and a-n outlet for the same adjacent 1the top .0f the compartment, of a deflector disposed a above said apparatus fordirecting said air g5 currents toward said outlet and away from the bottom of said chamber.

2. In a refrigerator cabinet the combination with a chamber to be cooled and a compartment beneath said chamber for containing mechanical refrigerating apparatus, said compartment having an inlet for air currents and an outlet for the same adjacent the top of the compartment, of a deflector presenting a bright reflecting surface toward said apparatus for directing said air currents toward said outlet and away from the bottom of said chamber.

3. In a refrigerator cabinet the combination with a chamber to be cooled and a compartment beneath said chamber for containing mechanical refrigerating apparatus, said compartment having` an inlet for air currents and an outlet for the same adjacent the top of the compartment, of means for directing said air currents toward said outlet and away from the bottom of said chamber, and means providin for movement of air above said firstname means.

4. In a refrigerator cabinet the combina- 1m tion with a chamber to be cooled and a compartment beneath said chamber for containing mechanical refrigerating apparatus, said compartment having an inlet for air currents and an outlet for the same adjacent the top x15 of the compartment, of a deiiector disposed above said apparatus for directing said air currents toward said outlet and away from the bottom of said chamber, said cabinet havinv auxiliary air inlets and outlets between 12|) said defiector and the bottom of said chamber.

5. In a refrigerator cabinet the combination with a chamber to be cooled and a compartment beneath said chamber for containing'mechanical refrigerating apparatus, said 125 compartment having an inlet for air currents and outlets at the sides adjacent the top of said compartment, of a deflector within said compartment above said apparatus having a substantially centrally depressed portion ar- 130 lll() Cir wardly and away from the bottom of said chamber, and p ranged to direct said air currents away from the center of said compartment to the outlets in the sides of the same.

6. In a refrigerator cabinet the combination with a chamber to be cooled and a compartment beneath said chamber for containing mechanical refrigerating apparatus, said compartment having ar inlet* for air currents and outlets for the same adjacent the top of said compartment, of a deflector generally V shaped in end elevation within said compartment for directing said air streams to said outlets.

7. In a retrigerator cabinet the combination with a chamber to be cooled and a compartment beneath said chamber for containing mechanical refrigerating apparatus, said compartment having an inlet for air currents and outlets at the sides and adjacent the top of said compartment, of a deflector generally V shaped in end elevation within said compartment and inclined upwardly from one side of the compartment to the other'for directing said air streams to said outlets.

8. In a refrigerator cabinet the combination with a chamber to be cooled and a compartment beneath said chamber for containing mechanical refrigerating apparatus, said compartment having an inlet for air currents and outlets at' the sides and adjacent the top of said compartment, of means in said compartment for directing said air currents upoutwardly to said outlets and means providing for movement of air between Asaid first named means and said chamber.

9. In a refrigerator cabinet the combination with a chamber to be cooled and a compartment beneath said chamber for containing mechanical refrigerating apparatus, said compartment having an inlet for air currents and an outlet for the same adjacent the top of the compartment, of a deflector disposed above said apparatus for directing said air currents toward said outlet and away from the bottom of said chamber, and a second defiector above and in spaced relation to said first deflector.

10. In a refrigerator cabinet the combination with a chamber to be cooled and a com partment beneath said chamber for containing mechanical refrigerating apparatus, said compartment having an inlet for air currents and an outlet for the same adjacent the top of the compartment, of a deflector disposed above said apparatus for directing said air currents towards said outlet and away from the bottom of said chamber, a second defiector above and in spaced relation to said first deflector, and means providing for movement of air between said deiectors.

11. In a refrigerator cabinet the combination with a chamber to be cooled and a come; partment beneath said chamber for containing mechanical refrigerating apparatus, said compartment having an inlet for air currents and an outlet for the same adjacent the top of the compartment, of a deflector disposed above said apparatus for directing said air currents toward said outlet and away from the bottom of said chamber, a second deector above said first deflector, and means providing for movement of air on both sides of said second deflector.

12. In -a refrigerator cabinet the combination with a chamber to be cooled and a compartment beneath said chamber for containing mechanical refrigerating apparatus, said compartment having an inlet for air currents and an outlet for the same adjacent the top of the compartment, of a deflector disposed above said apparatus for directing said air currents toward said outlet and away from the bottom of said chamber, and a second deflector above said first delector and in spaced relation both to the latter and to the bottom of said chamber, said cabinet providing inlet and outlet openings connecting with the space above and below said second delector.

13. A refrigerator cabinet having a chamber to be cooled, a compartment beneath said chamber, and refrigerating apparatus, at least a part of which is disposed in said compartment, said compartment having inlet and outlet openings adjacent the bottom and top respectively, and a plurality of combined deflecting and reflecting members in said comartment and above said apparatus therein.

14. A refrigerator cabinet haying a chamber with walls of insulating material, a compartment beneath said chamber, apparatus for extracting heat from said chamber, a part of said apparatus being disposed in said compartment, a plurality of sheet metal deflectors above said apparatus and beneath said chamber, and means providing for movement of air above and below said deflectors.

15. A refrigerating cabinet having a chamber with walls of insulating material, a compartment beneath said chamber, apparatus for extracting heat from said chamber, a part of said apparatus being disposed in said compartment, a plurality of sheet metal deflectors above said apparatus and beneath said chamber, said cabinet providing inlet and outlet openings permitting movement of air above and below each of said deflectors whereby heat developed in said compartment is prevented from reaching the bottom of said chamber.

Signed by me at Detroit, in the county of Wayne, and State of Michigan, this 2d day of March, 1927;

RANSOM W. DAVENPORT. 

